Funniest Toddler Quote: First Watermelon Party

Toddlers can say and think the funniest things. Listen to what happened when my younger brother attended his very first watermelon party.

Click FUNNIEST TODDLER QUOTE to read the entire story on Associated Content.com.

Product Review: Mayline Eastwinds Portrait PC Desk Cart

I am so excited! My computer desk is here, set up, and ready to go.

To back up, I am in the process of renovating my entire office. The floor slopes. Some good friends of ours are going to tear up the floor and put down a new level floor. My husband and I live in a log cabin in the country that has its perks and its challenges. The sloping floor is definitely one of its challenges.

Currently, there is a built-in bed and 2 build-in dressers in this room which take up lots of room in this already tiny space. Those three items will be permanently removed. I am so happy about that. Mice and wooly caterpillars have gotten into the dressers before and eaten holes in some of my clothes and left mouse droppings. To prevent this, I have to place all clothes in a plastic storage bin inside these drawers. To try to avoid the musty smell, I have them filled with dryer sheets as well. The bed just takes up all kinds of floor space that could be filled with bookshelves, etc.

I have three computers: a Macintosh that does not have internet capabilities, a desktop PC that does have internet capabilities, and my laptop computer. Each computer serves several different functions for my storytelling and freelance writing business. I have been using the laptop in our den since the office is so claustrophobic as it is right now. My husband would love to have our den back as just our TV room rather than my extra office plus TV room.

I am going to turn this room into my dream office plus dressing room. When it gets done, on one wall there will be one new dresser, a work table, this new computer desk, and another small unit with one shelf that will hold some plastic stackable drawers. On another wall will be a computer desk that I already own plus one 5-shelf bookcase. On the third wall will be a two more bookcases plus a hutch bookshelf. On the fourth wall are the closet and the door. The third computer is going to sit on a computer desk that I already own kind of in the middle of the room. See the diagram to get an idea of what I am talking about.

I looked through the multiple computer desks sold on the various CSN stores. Given my needs and the tiny space I have to work with, I settled on the Mayline Eastwinds Portrait PC Desk Cart being absolutely perfect for my needs. On top of that, the price was very reasonable.

I ordered the desk on November 1st on-line. I got an e-mail confirmation that it would show up on either Nov. 3rd or Nov. 4th. It arrived on the 4th. The FED EX people placed the box on our front porch. My husband and I had to carry it in.

Today, Nov. 5th, our handy man and his helper came by. They put the desk together for me in about 45 minutes.  He said that there is a mistake in the directions. On the diagram, it labels a screw as “L.” On the packet that it came in, it was labeled as “M.” I’m so glad that my husband and I did not try to put it together. That would have frustrated us a lot as we are not that savvy about those kinds of things. Other than that, he said it was pretty easy to put together.

He was impressed with how sturdy it is. I am impressed with how pretty it is. I love the color of the wood. See the picture. Since my floor has not yet been re-done, I am going to temporarily move it into the TV room and use it with my laptop. Once my room gets re-done, I am going to use it with my desktop PC.

I love the fact that it has a built-in place to put the tower that is off the floor. That is especially ideal as a friend of ours had his office floor. The computer towers that sat on the floor were ruined.

I also love that it has a separate little area for the mouse. By the way, if you buy this desk, you will want to be right-handed as that is the only way that makes sense when you put this desk together.

Professional Storyteller performs kid-friendly tale: Burger King

On October 16, 2010, professional storyteller Debbie Dunn performed ghost stories around the campfire at Yeomen’s in the Fork on the outskirts of Franklin, Tennessee. Watch the 3-minute video on YouTube.

This is how the owners describe this antiquities bookstore: “Yeoman's in the Fork is a rare book and document gallery located in historic Leiper's Fork, TN. Yeoman's has a wide variety of rare books, documents, maps, and ephemera. Yeoman's in the Fork shares the collector's passion, along with helping educate those new to collecting rare books and documents.”

Prior to intermission, Debbie told a few kid-friendly ghost and spooky stories appropriate for the whole family. After intermission, Debbie performed “The Bell Witch Unveiled” based on her book entitled “The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist” written under her pen name of DJ Lyons. She signed autographs during intermission and after the final performance.

Please enjoy a fun audience-participation tale called “Burger King.” It was taught to her by Chris Lindgren, a Canadian storyteller. Chris learned the story from a 12-year-old boy. He’s the one who wrote it.

YouTube video: Burger King

Description: Watch master storyteller Debbie Dunn reenact this kid-friendly story "Burger King" from our Ghost Stories & The Bell Witch Unveiled event.

For more information about this bookstore, please visit Yeoman’s in the Fork at http://www.yeomansinthefork.com/.

Yeoman's in the Fork, 4216 Old Hillsboro Rd, Franklin, TN 37064

For other stories performed by Debbie Dunn, please click on the following links:

* Jack and the King’s Girl by Richard Chase

* Rainbow Crow by Nancy Van Laan

* Jack and the Bull re-told by Debbie Dunn

* Mouse Mother by Opalanga Pugh

* Parable of the Eagle told by Storyteller Debbie Dunn

* Ned and Nan Kick Their CAN'Ts Away re-told by Debbie Dunn

* Part 1 of 2 - Grandmother Frog's Magic Bully Buster Song

* Part 2 of 2 - Grandmother Frog's Magic Bully Buster Song

* Video - The Wild Boar

* Video - Six Blind Men and the Elephant re-told by Debbie Dunn

Sneak Preview of “The Bell Witch Unveiled”:

Bell Witch Movie with Talk Bubbles that Pop by DJ Lyons

Memories of a Bar Stool from the past

I am being haunted by memories of furniture from the past. Since moving back to Tennessee in 1982, I have lived in three locations in Kingsport, Tennessee; two locations in Chattanooga, Tennessee; one location in Knoxville, Tennessee; and now a log cabin in the country in Mosheim, Tennessee. As you probably have guessed, I have gone through a lot of furniture in that time.

As I sit here typing and drinking a cappuccino, I am reminded of a really pretty condo I lived in when living in the second location in Kingsport. My husband (now an ex-husband) and I had our kitchen specially designed with a bar area with a large opening onto the living room with a view of Bays Mountain. I loved to sit on our pretty bar stools in the kitchen, drink hot chocolate or eat a sandwich and stare out at that gorgeous view.  

When we divorced, I no longer lived anywhere where I had the need of a bar stool. That’s too bad, because there are some really attractive-looking bar stools that you can buy on-line or by going to a furniture store.

Thinking back to that condo, when we first laid eyes on it, we were in love with all parts of the condo with the exception of the kitchen. It had this horrible navy blue and white checkerboard wall paper and the kitchen was all closed in with a kind of claustrophobic feeling. The bank gave us a re-decoration allowance as part of our closing costs deal. So we had the wallpaper torn out, new counter-tops installed, and we had that opening cut into the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. I can’t recall if there was currently a bar area already there or not. I have a vague memory that there was.

That made a huge difference to that living space. It became one of my favorite areas in the house. I also could sit there and eat breakfast and lunch with a perfect view of the television set in the living room. Additionally, that opening was perfect when we had a party. People could talk to each other easily who were located in either room. Also, that bar area was a perfect spot to put out party food. Lastly, our phone was located nearby. So I could sit on one of those bar stools and chat on the phone in complete comfort.

By the way, as I recall, the bar stool was something like the above - only it was blue rather than brown.

I would love to hear about your past furniture memories or of current favorite furniture tales you have to share. Thanks for listening and have a great day!

It's Safe to Be Slender: Vitamin & Mineral Supplements

As Healing Seeker affirms her declaration that it is safe to be slender, read her exploration of the health benefits of taking vitamins and minerals for weight loss and for maintaining a healthy body.

Click WEIGHTLOSS to read the entire story on Associated Content.com.

It's Safe to Be Slender: Flax Seed Benefits

As Healing Seeker affirms her declaration that it is safe to be slender, read her exploration of the health benefits of having a daily dose of 4 tablespoons of flax seed mixed with 4 ounces of yogurt. In addition, it pleases her taste buds.

Click WEIGHTLOSS to read the entire story on Associated Content.com.

Declaration: It's Safe to Be Slender

Healing Seeker is in remission from breast cancer. Read about her journey to lose 60 pounds before getting reconstruction surgery in fall of 2011. Celebrate the knowledge that we don’t need all that insulation. Instead, know that it is safe to be slender.

Click WEIGHTLOSS to read the entire story on Associated Content.com.